There are a lot of pretty terrible people out in the world. As much as I would want that to be false, I hear several instances of people who got scammed by fake rental agencies. What I find to be highly unfortunate about this whole this is that we now live in an era where information is so readily available. However, the ease in which false information can be passed around is just as easy.

The last thing I would ever want for my readers to experience is getting gypped by an illegal car rental firm. So I wanted to come up with a few tips on how you can determine if a rental agency is wholly legitimate.

1: Check Out How Long They Have Been in Business

Longevity is one of they key things you should look at when considering taking out a rental vehicle. If you are looking to rent locally, you can find out from the local government office to check out business permits and when they started to exist.

2: Look For Information Online

Even if a blog post is from 2001, it can still be found if you know that you are searching for. Look up the name of the company that you are looking for and add the word ‘scam’ or ‘issues’ at the end of the sentence.

You can also look up their social media presence. No matter how old a business is, they will try to change along with the times. Since social media is the new way to connect with consumers, they should have one.

If someone wrote a scathing review, it will show up in your search engine. A word of advice when you read bad reviews, do not let that be the last straw in the decision making process. You must always be subjective when it comes to forming consumer decisions. After all, you’d end up robbing yourself of good experiences if you believe every single bad review ever written about a business.

3: Check with the Chamber of Commerce

This is the best place to look up companies. If there has been any complaint made, there will be records there. Or the government employees will find the name familiar. Always remember that people like to talk. If there is anything bad about the company you are looking at, you will find it.

4: Scan Their Official Website

Any legitimate business will have a good website (that is not social media). They must have a phone number and an actual address. If they have a brick and mortar location, they will have a Google Maps link to it since that’s pretty much what they do nowadays.

Bottom Line

There are a lot of different ways to determine if a business is legitimate or not. The power of the internet is at your very fingertips so you should make use of it. When you help other people weed out the fake businesses, we all have better chances of patronizing wholly legitimate ones.

What steps do you rely on to determine the legitimacy of a car rental business?

Hey there, you guys! It’s your good buddy George here! I’m back with an article packed discussion about rental cars. Have you ever seen a music video that was just littered with fancy cars? Not just any sort of fancy car, the sort that dreams are made of! Turn on the TV or go on YouTube and it seems that sports cars are commonplace—even required—as it seems.

There are higher end car rental companies like www.apexluxurycarhire.com/car-rental-locations/france/paris/ whose fleets are comprised of cars that you would probably only see during a car show or if you visited Monaco or the Middle East. Of course, if you wanted to rent out a sports car or a high-end convertible for a day or two, you’d best be prepared to pay a pretty penny.

So when you think about it, are they worth the price tag? That was something that I got to thinking about. When you use the word ‘luxury’ with ‘rental car’ most imagine sedans that are worth several millions of dollars. They’re actually not wrong about that. However, the term ‘luxury’ is no longer restricted to high-end sedans. They now include the likes of Lamborghini, Audi, Ferrari, and so many more.

What are you really paying for with the rental fee when you rent a high-end vehicle?

The Experience

It goes without saying that not everyone will be able to experience owning a high-end vehicle. When you rent out a high luxury for an evening or a special date, you are paying for the experience of being able to drive one.

Experiencing how responsive or powerful an automotive wonder is something that is going to be something else.

The Attention

A lot of rental companies that have really expensive cars in their fleet know to be discreet about their branding. They know that when people rent their vehicles, they are also paying for the illusion of grandeur.

If you roll around town in a Lamborghini Murcielago, you know you are going to be noticed. This, in itself, is not a bad thing. Everyone wants to be able to experience a truly luxurious time. So if you want to experience what it is like to be envied and admired by complete strangers, renting out a sports car is worth the price you pay.

The Memories

When my parents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, I rented out a Mini Cooper in Miami for them. It was something that my father always wanted to drive and I knew for a fact that my mum always loved it when my dad drove around with her.

They got to experience what it was like rolling around town in the car of their dreams. It made for some pretty special memories that are hard to forget.

Bottom Line

To be honest, when you are weighing the details above versus the rental fee, there isn’t much contest. The experience, the attention, and the memories that you get from a rental is worth the rental fee. Car rental companies are there to provide convenience and unique experiences.

So what you guys think? Do you think renting out a high-end luxury vehicle is worth the rental fee?

Hey there, you guys! It’s your good buddy George here, back for more rental car discussions. Once again, I am floored by all the responses that I received from the last post! Let’s keep this positive space going, shall we?

I like to travel. It gives me a good chance to discover more about the world I am in and I also find out more about myself. Travelling is always a good way to open up the scope of your understanding. This is due to the fact that not all countries carry the same codes and mores. One thing that I did note was that depending on how well you prepare for your trip, you can get more out of it.

For example, rental vehicles are always available no matter where in the world you go. Of course, some rental companies are better than others. It also depends on where you get the rental. Well, I’m getting a bit ahead of myself! To clarify, today’s discussion is going to be about why you should scope out rental deals before going anywhere!

In my travels, here are some pretty good reasons why rental cars are pretty great when you travel:

Car Rental Firms Can Help Plan Your Vacation

If you are completely new to the area or country that you’re visiting, there might be certain good spots that you can miss. A car rental company can have sample itineraries that may pique your interest. I had a good friend that went to Malaysia and had scoped out a car rental agency before going there. She managed to score a complete itinerary courtesy of the company.

Not only was she ferried around in style, she got to see all the landmarks at the best times as her driver was a local and was highly attuned to the traffic situation.

Scoping Ahead of Time Yields Better Deals

If there was anything that I learned from my travels, it would be this: booking at the last minute will drive up prices by a lot. So if you do all your searches ahead of time, like around 2-3 months ahead, you can actually land better deals.

I had to go to Makati City (that’s in the Philippines) and I looked up car rental companies around two months previously. Not only did I manage to score a 30% discount, I was also able to land a deal with their affiliate hotel.

Convenience and Security

What I best about rental companies no matter where in the world they are, they aim to provide their clients with good experiences. If you aren’t really familiar with the area, having a secure mode of transportation can really cut back on the stress.

Depending on the deal that you get, you can experience the lap of luxury from start to finish.

Bottom Line

When you are going to be travelling in the near future, do yourself a favor and scope out the car rental agencies in that area. You just might be surprised at what you may find and experience.

Hey there, everyone! It’s me your good buddy George coming back with more information. Last post garnered some pretty positive feedback from you guys. I really like what we’re building here and I truly appreciate all the emails and the questions. If you guys do have negative opinions, you’re welcome to send them. After all, the best sorts of conversations are the ones you have with people who don’t see eye to eye with.

It’s a great teachable moment on both ends. Speaking of conversations, a majority of the questions that I got in my inbox was about my personal list on what I look for when I rent out a car. It really got me thinking so thank you for that one, you guys!

This is what I realized are parts of my checklist for a rental vehicle:

1: If it’s the car I chose

This one is pretty basic, to be honest. I have had some pretty bad experiences where the vehicle I got on the day of my rental was something completely different. That was something that I promised myself I’d try to avoid like the plague if I could.

One of the ways that I keep track whether or not it’s the car I selected is by looking at the serial number. Usually, it will be on the dashboard. I check around for any dings or bumps (if there are any) that I noticed when I chose it. While it would be good to get a car that has no damages to it, it would still be good to be realistic with our expectations.

2: Customer Service from start to finish

Usually, a rental company will be easy to talk to. One of the best signs that I am dealing with a good rental company is that they will tell me that there are ‘add-ons’ but will not try to hard sell me anything. I also look for companies that are easy to get in touch with and highly responsive.

The last thing I would ever want is to be left hanging when I have a rather important question or concern. Also, I determine which company I will go with again with how they handle the post-rental. This refers to asking for any feedback or sorting out any issues.

There was this one instance where I was charged a late fee despite the fact that I wasn’t late. I particularly loved how they were quite apologetic and offered me credit for my next rental. While others said that was a ploy, I appreciate their efforts at addressing my complaint in a highly professional manner. I never felt unheard or dismissed. Those are the kind of companies you should deal with.

Bottom Line

There are other things that I do look for when I rent out a vehicle but if I listed them all, it would be too long. One thing you need to remember is that my preferences may not exactly jive with yours. You can make use of my opinions to help to build your own decisions but do not ever feel that my way is the only way to go about it.

Hey guys, welcome back to another blog post about car rentals! As always, the name is George and welcome to Cyber Ski! The last post brought about some pretty interesting reactions. Some people thought I was pretty spot on while others thought it was an unnecessary expense.

To that, I think that it is all about personal preference. Some thing that you think is unnecessary can just be something that other people want. So, you go do you. I’m not going to go around telling people what they shouldn’t do based on my preferences. I’m here to give useful information.

Speaking of useful information, I got a question asking how to book a rental car. This can strike some as a very rudimentary question. Frankly, I’m glad someone asked because it brought things into better perspective for me. If I wanted to give useful information, it would be good to start with the basics. As such, today I will be talking about how to book a rental car!

Step 1: Get Your Ducks in a Row

This step refers to sorting out basic information that you need. For example:

Why you need the car

How long will you need it for

What kind of car you need

How many will be riding

What your budget is

Where do you need the car

Knowing this information beforehand is crucial if you want to rent out the right sort of vehicle. If you can, write them down and keep it with you when you do your search. It helps to streamline the search and keeps your organized.

Step 2: Locate and Contact a Suitable Company

You can try looking for information through a phonebook (if you have one). Although, if I needed a rental, I go online and use my trusted search engine. I type in “car rentals near me” or “car rental + my location”.

If you are not all that comfortable with trusting information off the web, you can go ask your friends and acquaintances. Social media is there and you should take advantage of it. When you do get a good recommendation or find information about a company, get in touch with them.

You can use their social media accounts and send them a message and schedule an on-site visit.

Step 3: On-site Visit and Booking

When you do go for a visit, try to remember these few details:

Document everything (photos and videos)

Inspect the vehicle thoroughly

Ask if they have any ongoing promos

Study the contract before signing

Once you get that stuff out of the way, you sign on the dotted line and pay the initial fee. While a lot of rental companies prefer full payment, they will allow partial payment and will collect the final fee once the vehicle is returned.

Step 4: ENJOY!

Congratulations, you’ve made your first rental booking!

Bottom Line

Securing a rental car doesn’t have to feel like you’re doing rocket science. It’s a pretty straightforward! What issues have you guys come across when securing a rental car?

Specials occasions in one’s life—especially in the life of people you care about—need to be celebrated properly. When you want to add a bit more to the event being celebrated, a luxury car rental can truly do wonders for it. A lot of people tend to think that you only need to rent out a vehicle for big days like weddings.

However, a car rental can make different special occasions extra special. Let me elaborate.

Dates and Anniversaries

Dates and anniversaries are actually pretty special occasions. You have to remember that there are people in this world that want relationships but never get them. If you are one of the lucky ones that have special date nights and prolonged relationships, it would make sense to rent out a vehicle.

If your significant other wants to feel extra special, a night of a wine and dine experience could be in order. Rental vehicles can add a touch of luxury to normal date nights. If you’re dating a lady, she will appreciate the effort you took to secure a car that she may have wanted. If you’re dating a gentleman, it shows that you care to provide him with a night where he doesn’t have to worry about traffic or driving.

Birthdays

Birthdays are usually celebrated with groups of people. One of the issues that exist about getting people together is usually involving the transportation as a group. Car rental companies can solve that problem. There are party busses, limousines, and even stretch Hummers that can fully accommodate several people.

These are the vehicles that usually have extra features like champagne and a full chauffer service. So they offer a unique experience that birthday celebrants are sure to remember for years to come.

Group Outings

Car rentals are not just good for birthdays or dates. They can also be used for family vacations and group outings. If there was ever a picnic spot or nature reserve you ever wanted to visit, hiring SUVs or vans is the way to go.

Not only will they enable everyone to go but the comfort will be assured as well.

Weddings

This is arguably the most common event where rental cars are used. The bride will normally need a bridal car and weddings often need a touch of old world automotive beauty. This is where the likes of Rolls Royce, BMW, and Benz reign supreme. Such vehicle can really provide brides with classy photographs and a truly memorable ride.

A rental vehicle isn’t just for the bride, too. The groom, the bridal party, and even the guests can benefit from the convenience of a rental car.

Bottom Line

A rental car adds so much to an already special occasion! While it is not necessary to take out a rental vehicle each time the special event rolls around, the very addition of a rental car adds several levels of sparkle.

I’d like to know what you guys think. How do you think a rental car adds to special occasions?